As heroin use surges in Northeast Ohio, marijuana remains most widely used illegal drug (with video)

Although they are focused now on stemming the rising tides of heroin distribution and use, area law enforcement professionals say marijuana is still the most widely sold and used of banned substances.
“The majority of our arrests are for marijuana because the user population for marijuana is huge, much larger than the user populations we see for heroin, crack cocaine and opiates,’’ said Euclid Police Lt. Scott Meyer, supervisor of the department’s narcotics and vice unit.
Meyer described as “completely different animals’’ the environments for the selling and use of marijuana and heroin.
“Marijuana is sold in many different venues, but you don’t see marijuana users on the streets waiting for their dealer to show up,’’ Meyer said.
“The heroin user is the cause of a huge number of calls coming into the police having to do with people hanging around on the street waiting for hand-to-hand sales.’’
Behaviors associated with marijuana use are less malevolent than those associated with heroin use, according to Meyer.
“With marijuana, you don’t see the impulsive, fiending behavior you see for heroin,’’ Meyer said. “You don’t see kids dead in a car with a joint in their hand.’’
David A. Frisone, executive director of Lake County Narcotics Agency, said he and his 10 investigators are no less vigilant about marijuana than they were before the onset of the heroin epidemic.
“We’re not turning a blind eye to marijuana. In fact, we’re concerned that legalization of marijuana in some states could lead to increases in the supply to marijuana in Ohio and other states where it’s still illegal,’’ Frisone said.
Lorain Police Lt. Roger Watkins said his department always is pursuing investigations of marijuana trafficking and use.
However, Watkins said judicial realities can influence decisions on how to prioritize drug cases.
“If you have an investigation that’s going to take three years and cost $10,000, and the guy we arrest for selling marijuana gets probation, I’m going with the heroin investigation that puts a dealer behind bars,’’ Watkins said.

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David has been a full-time writer with The News-Herald since 1984. He write about news, sports and entertainment, He served as president of the Television Critics Association from 1993-95. Reach the author at dglasier@News-Herald.com
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